{"id":27740,"date":"2023-03-06T01:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T09:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adhdonline.com\/?p=21817"},"modified":"2024-06-05T20:55:40","modified_gmt":"2024-06-06T00:55:40","slug":"trauma-and-adhd-a-complicated-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adhdonline.com\/articles\/trauma-and-adhd-a-complicated-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Trauma and ADHD: A Complicated Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Cathy Cassata<\/strong><\/p>\n

Traumatic events can happen to anyone. Sexual assault, physical abuse, natural disasters, witnessing or being a victim of violence, or the tragic death of a loved one are just a few examples of traumatic occurrences.<\/p>\n

When people experience these events, they may be left with physical, mental and emotional symptoms immediately afterwards that manifest as shock and denial. They may also experience long-term effects of trauma that occur down the line, such as unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and headaches or nausea, according to the American Psychological Association.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of us can have overwhelming experiences in life, but when we talk about trauma, we are talking about those overwhelming experiences not getting resolution and not getting worked through on the nervous system level,” explains Tonya L. Miles, PsyD<\/a>, a psychologist practicing in Overland Park, Kan.<\/p>\n

The effect of trauma is mitigated based on the age and developmental level of a person at the time it occurred, she adds. \u201cCertainly, it’s going to affect children in a very different way than adults because their brains and nervous systems are developing,” Miles says.<\/p>\n

Trauma and ADHD also have some very specific associations.<\/p>\n

First, having ADHD can be a contributing factor to being exposed to trauma.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the big complicating factors is that people who have ADHD \u2026 tend to die at an earlier age, and tend to get into more auto accidents, and tend to have more injuries related to the ADHD (due to) their inattention and impulsivity,” says Miles. \u201cKids with ADHD that is primarily untreated, tend to use drugs at an earlier age, tend to have higher rates of premarital sex. All this can set the stage for more potential traumatic events to happen.”<\/p>\n

Higher trauma scores associated with ADHD<\/h2>\n

A 2017 study in Academic Pediatrics found that kids with ADHD had more adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, compared to children without ADHD.<\/p>\n

ACEs are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as abuse, neglect and witnessing violence. The researchers found a significant association between ACE score, and moderate to severe ADHD. The study looked at children whose parents indicated presence and severity of ADHD, and their child’s exposure to nine ACEs. It found that children with ADHD had a higher prevalence of each ACE compared with children without ADHD.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is well known that those who have experienced trauma are more likely to experience more significant symptoms of ADHD,” says Dr. Ami Baxi<\/a>, a psychiatrist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. \u201cOne should assess for a history of trauma as it can often be a predisposition to ADHD.”<\/p>\n

She adds that traumatic experiences can also exacerbate ADHD symptoms.<\/p>\n

And symptoms of trauma can often be confused with symptoms of ADHD, Baxi says. For instance, symptoms of both conditions include:<\/p>\n